i don't hunt (don't have the stomach for killing something that's never done harm or presents a threat to me or my family) but i'm getting a pistol crossbow this january that i plan to take range shooting. it's all-fiberglass construction (only weighs 4 pounds) has an 80 pound draw weight, auto cocking lever and an initial velocity of 210 fps (more than enough to score a lethal or debilitating hit at self-defense range up to 50 feet) the best part is that the channel is dual-function and can shoot traditional bolts, but also can be equipped with a pouch on the string to shoot steal bearings, making it both a crossbow and a tactical slingshot.

With my family we do a bit of trophy hunting but we harvest all the meat so we dont have to purchase meat from the grocery store. We hunt coyotes because when you get too many they start to be a problem because they arent scared and could harm us or out pets.

I personally don't hunt yet - I'm a decent shot, but my marksmanship isn't quite at the level that I'd be comfortable hunting as I want to be sure that any kill I make will be as swift and humane as possible. I just got a bow that I could actually take hunting last year and between school and work, it's been tough finding time to get to the range and practice. lol And I'd need to get a different rifle to hunt with - my little Remington 581 .22 rimfire won't do much more than small game

I'm of the school of thought that hunting is somewhat of a necessity in the modern world, especially since humans have removed many of the keystone species and/or apex predators from their natural habitat. We've pretty much made a place where generalist animals like deer and coyotes thrive, but the animals that would naturally keep these populations in check struggle to survive; therefore, deer/coyote/racoon/etc. populations increase to a level that stresses the entire ecosystem. Without removing some of the generalists, it's possible for an ecosystem to be dramatically altered or even crash. However, hunting must be done in a sustainable way to avoid removing too many animals and tipping the balance in the opposite direction - 'tis an extremely complex issue.